Зов предков
For the Love of a Man
"I’mnothankeringtobethemanthatlayshandsonyouwhilehe’saround,"Peteannouncedconclusively,noddinghisheadtowardBuck.
"PyJingo!"wasHans’scontribution."Notmineselfeither."
ItwasatCircleCity,eretheyearwasout,thatPete’sapprehensionswererealized. "Black"Burton,amanevil-temperedandmalicious,hadbeenpickingaquarrelwithatenderfootatthebar,whenThorntonsteppedgood-naturedlybetween. Buck,aswashiscustom,waslyinginacorner,headonpaws,watchinghismaster’severyaction. Burtonstruckout,withoutwarning,straightfromtheshoulder. Thorntonwassentspinning,andsavedhimselffromfallingonlybyclutchingtherailofthebar.
Thosewhowerelookingonheardwhatwasneitherbarknoryelp,butasomethingwhichisbestdescribedasaroar,andtheysawBuck’sbodyriseupintheairasheleftthefloorforBurton’sthroat. Themansavedhislifebyinstinctivelythrowingouthisarm,butwashurledbackwardtothefloorwithBuckontopofhim. Buckloosedhisteethfromthefleshofthearmanddroveinagainforthethroat. Thistimethemansucceededonlyinpartlyblocking,andhisthroatwastornopen. ThenthecrowdwasuponBuck,andhewasdrivenoff; butwhileasurgeoncheckedthebleeding,heprowledupanddown,growlingfuriously,attemptingtorushin,andbeingforcedbackbyanarrayofhostileclubs.
